ter's gloom.
Soon the opeechee[121] comes to sing
The pleasures of an early spring;
Soon shall the swelling water's roar
Tell us that winter is no more;
The water-fowl set up their cry,
Or hasten to more northern sky;
And on the sandy shore shall stray,
The plover, the _twee-tweesh-ke-way_.
Soon shall the budding trees expand,
And genial skies pervade the land;
The little garden hoes shall peck,
And female hands the moss beds deck;
The apple-tree refresh our sight,
With its fair blows of pink and white;
The cherry bloom, the strawberry run,
And joy fill all the new Seegwun.[122]

[120] Spring beauty, C. Virg.

[121] Robin.

[122] Spring.

THE STAR FAMILY.

Waupee found a deep-trod circle
In the boundless prairie wide;
In the grassy sea of prairies,
Without trace of path beside.

To or fro, there was no token
Man had ever trod the plain;
And he gazed upon the wonder,
Gazed the wonder to explain.

I will watch the place, quoth Waupee,
And conceal myself awhile;
This strange mystery to unravel,
This new thing to reconcile.

Tracks I know of deer and bison,
Tracks of panther, lynx, or hind,
Beasts and birds of every nature,
But this beaten ring is blind.

Do the spirits here assemble,
War-dance light to trip and sing?
Gather Medas of the prairie,
Here their magic charm to fling?

Waupee crept beneath the hushes,
Near the wondrous magic ring;
Close beneath the shrubs and grasses,
To behold so rare a thing.

Soon he heard, high in the heavens,
Issuing from the feathery clouds--
Sounds of music, quick descending,
As if angels came in crowds.

Louder, sweeter, was the music,
Every moment that he stayed;
Till a basket, with twelve sisters,
Was with all its charms displayed.

Down they came, in air suspended,
As if by thin silver cords;
And within the circle landed,
Gay and bright as beauteous birds.

Out they leaped with nimble gestures,
Dancing softly round and round;
Each a ball of silver chiming,
With the most enchanting sound.

Beauteous were they all--but one so
More than all the other eleven,
Youngest she, he sighed to clasp her
To his ardent, glowing breast.

Up he rose from his concealment,
From his flower-encircled bed;
But, as quick-eyed birds, they spied him,
Stepped into the car and fled.

Fled into the starry heavens,
While with open ear he stood,
Drinking the receding music,
As it left his